Chinese Calligraphy or Chinese Weddings

Chinese Weddings

Ancient Chinese weddings began with elaborate preparation, including the proposal and acceptance. However, the wedding itself was rather simple, and generally comprised of the bride and groom paying homage to Heaven and Earth, the family ancestors and the Kitchen God, Tsao-Chun, at the family altar, after which they drank tea offered by the groom's parents, and then bowed to each other (Chinese pp). This completed the marriage ceremony. Although the marriage ceremony itself was simply, there were numerous customs that were required both before and after, many of which are still observed today.

Today, many Chinese-Americans choose to combine their traditional culture with modern Western traditions. Traditionally, the color red is the symbol of happiness and joy, and is used throughout Chinese celebrations, including weddings (Traditions pp). The wedding invitations and reception menus are a deep red with black or gold calligraphy, and the guest book is always made of red silk with embroidered edges (Traditions pp). Guests sign the cloth with a black pen and then the book is folded and stored as a wedding day keepsake (Traditions pp).

The Chinese character for happiness, hsi or xi, is an important part of Chinese weddings and is generally displayed at the reception or banquet (Traditions pp). The double happiness sign, Shuang Xi, combines two individual characters to represent double happiness and signifies good fortune and ensures a happy future for the newlyweds (Traditions pp). Dragon and Phoenix designs are also popular decorations since they symbolize male and female harmony and a balanced relationship (Traditions pp). Rooted in mythology, "the dragon symbolizes the Emperor and at his side stands the magically powerful phoenix with her life-giving song" (Traditions pp).

Drinking tea is an integral part of Chinese weddings much like toasting champagne is in Western tradition (Traditions pp). The tea ceremony performed by the bride and groom is a custom of paying respect to their families, as the couple serves tea to their parents and grandparents from a traditional tea pot (Traditions pp). The bride's parents are served first, beginning with the mother, then the groom's family (Traditions pp). The type of tea served is left to the discretion of personal taste, although black dragon, orange blossom, and classic green tea are the preferred choices (Traditions pp).

Traditional wedding dress attire includes the beautiful brocade Qi Pau, Chinese jacket, and Cheongsam, which is the familiar slim fitting Chinese dress with the two side slits for walking (Traditions pp). For the groom, the style is called a Da Gua, which features a front-closing tunic (Traditions pp).

Firecrackers are believed to scare away evil spirits, and are a traditional ritual performed at most Chinese celebrations, including weddings (Traditions pp). Long chains of firecrackers are suspended on a stick and lit for several minutes before the couple crosses the threshold during the recessional (Traditions pp).

As in most wedding traditions, the reception is the most important part of the Chinese wedding day. The wedding banquet is the way for the groom's family to show off to family and friends by providing a generous party (Wedding pp). Often, there are tables of mah jong, a Chinese tile game, set up for guests to play before the festivities begin, and there is an emcee who hosts the evening and alerts the guests to important announcements (Wedding pp). Banquet table are traditionally round, "and seating charts are manipulated so guests who do not know one another are seated together" (Wedding pp).

The wedding banquet hold much esteem in Chinese culture, therefore, the menu is includes Chinese delicacies, "the best that money can buy" (Wedding pp). These delicacies include lobster, abalone, roast suckling pig, dessert and fresh fruit (Wedding pp). Between courses, "the emcee entertains the guests while the wedding party takes turns playing tricks on the couple, mostly on the groom," such as when the groom picks up the bride from her home that morning, the bridesmaids often play games on the groom that force him to show his love for the bride (Wedding pp). Traditional wedding favors include chopsticks, lucky coins, and sandalwood fans (Traditional pp).